Updated September 2019
Across 101 pages
of 101
French form of Berengaria
"bear spear"
Berangere has never seen much usage in the US, but it has an interesting meaning of "bear spear." The name it stems from—Berengaria—was used as a common royal name during the twelfth and thirteenth…
Variation of Philomena, Greek
"lover of strength"
This variation of Philomena has never been high on the popularity charts, but it did appear in the US infrequently as a French immigrant name. As a result, it has some ties to Louisiana and the Cajun…
Feminine form of Philo
Philonese is a rare name that had some usage a century or more ago among the Louisiana Creole. As such, it has ties to French and Italian ancestry. While it may not be joining the popularity charts…
Greek from Latin
"follower of Christ"
Long used as a masculine name, when you think about it there is no reason this word name can't be used on a daughter as well as a son. Only about 1 percent of the baby Christians born today are…
Layla Mae combines the popular first name Layla with the traditional middle name Mae, creating a melodious feminine pairing. Layla, of Arabic origin, means 'night' or 'dark beauty' and gained Western…
Vietnamese
"hero, brave, petal, flower"
This simple unisex Vietnamese name has multiple meanings, including "hero", "petal", "brave", and "bright", depending on the characters used to write it. One of the most popular names in Vietnam, it…
Invented literary name
"beautiful shining one"
The name of the character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" whom the poet intended as a representation of Queen Elizabeth I. While it will no doubt thrill your daughter's English professor, the…
Variation of Emma
Best known as the title of a song by prog rock group Deep Purple, itself named after Emmaretta Marks, an actress and singer who was in the musical Hair at the time. Now that Emma is the most popular…
Compound name, Combination of Hanna and Lise
How To Get Away With Murder has made Annalise a genuinely trendy name; it now ranks higher than ever been, just outside the Top 400 in the U.S.. Hannalise, by contrast, has only popped up in the…
Latin
"beautiful rose"
A mashup of two of the most popular baby names today, Rose and Bella, that's still comparatively undiscovered in the US. Just 58 American baby girls were named Rosabella last year. It feels more…
Surname name
The full name of one of the main characters on Netflix's Dear White People , though she usually goes by Coco. Colandrea occasionally pops up as a surname, but as a first name, it feels more like a…
Modern invented name
The name of a regular (if not central) character on Amazon's Catastrophe vaguely recalls Melanie, Melissa and Sandra.
English, Scottish
"island + ewe; wise protector; ray of light"
Sweet and sparky, Isla-Rae has been appearing in the latter end of the England and Wales Top 1000 since the mid-2010s. Combining stylish Isla with mid-century favorite Rae, it could be interpreted to…
Hindu
"victory"
Katyayini is one of the nine forms of the Hindu goddess Parvati, and is associated with victory.
Norse
"gentle victory"
In Norse mythology, Sieglinde is often better known as Signy. In Wagner's Ring Cycle, he uses the name Sieglinde to denote the character who is the twin sister of Siegmund and mother of the hero…
Greek
"yellow horse"
Modern form of the Classical name Xanthippe, name of Socrates' wife, this name is often used as a by-word for a nagging, scolding woman.
English word name
Eloquence feels right at home with names like Cadence and Rhapsody.
Irish form of Geraldine
"spear ruler"
Gearóidín is familiar to our Irish members, but is probably unseen outside the Emerald Isle. It would provide some steep challengers to people unfamiliar with Irish names, but since that hasn't…
"Star of the sea"
One of the many names for the Virgin Mary, this name is popular in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking communities.
Welsh
"white, flaxen"
While it may look like it to those unfamiliar, Gwenllian is not a blend of Gwendolyn and Lillian! It is in fact a Welsh name, borne by a medieval Welsh princess noted for her bravery and beauty.…